Who was a selfish disciple?

Answer 1

When they all walked with Jesus during His three-and-a-half year ministry; before they understood the deep spiritual teachings of Christ; before Christ was arrested and they all abandoned Him; before their conversion on the day of Pentecost... they all were selfish, as is the nature of the flesh.

For three-and-a-half years, they were expecting Jesus to produce the Kingdom He kept preaching about. Jesus kept telling them that they were to be among His co-rulers in that Kingdom:

"Just as My Father has granted Me a Kingdom, I now grant you the right to eat and drink at My table in that Kingdom. And you will sit on thrones, Judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Luke 22:29-30 NLT New Living Translation)

They thought themselves "in on the ground floor" with God! Special.... privileged. And they were... but not for the selfish reasons they entertained in their carnal minds, lusting after their promised positions of authority over their particular "tribe" of Israel.

And as at least one of their mothers hoped her sons would achieve in Christ's Kingdom:

"...she replied, 'In your Kingdom, will you let my two sons sit in the places of Honor next to you, one at your right and the other at your left?' But Jesus told them, 'You don't know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of sorrow I AM about to drink?' 'Oh yes,' they replied, 'we are able!'

"'You will indeed drink from it,' He told them. 'But I have no right to say who will sit on the thrones next to Mine. My Father has prepared those places for the ones He has chosen.'

"When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant... (Matt.20:21-24 NLT)

See? They were all selfish... and each one lusted after the "best seats" next to Christ in His Kingdom... which none of them had earned. None of them, as yet, had the spiritual understanding [the Selfless, Loving, Giving, Merciful, HUMBLE Attitude so foreign and opposite to the flesh] of which Christ preached, that God's Children have to learn, develop and possess through His Holy Spirit, to be His Children.

"But Jesus called them all together and said, 'You know that in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them [in other words; the governments of this world are SELFISH!]. But among you IT SHOULD BE QUITE DIFFERENT. Whoever wants to be a leader among you MUST BE YOUR SERVANT, and whoever want to be first MUST BECOME YOUR SLAVE." (verses 25-27)

None of Jesus' disciples at that point had the Humility of a Child of God. Each one of them was in it, thanks to God's Grace, for themselves... for whatever each one sought to get out of it. Mostly, to be one of the privileged few among whoever else God might allow into His Kingdom.

But they all were selfishly expecting Jesus to produce His "Righteous Rebellion" and Kingdom... and their thrones, NOW!IMMEDIATELY! Especially, on that last Passover evening when Jesus mentioned them needing SWORDS!

"...if you don't have a sword, sell your clothes and BUY ONE! For the time has come for this prophecy about Me to be fulfilled: 'He was counted among those who were rebels.' Yes, everything written about Me by the prophets will come True. 'LORD,' they replied, 'WE HAVE TWO SWORDS AMONG US.' 'That's enough,' He said." (Luke 22:36-38 NLT)

Of course, Jesus knew what they were thinking -- carnal-mindedly... selfishly. As far as they were concerned, God could easily defeat the Roman occupation of their land and the whole world with "two swords" and restore the Kingdom to Israel. But Jesus was on another page of the Scriptures: speaking instead of the meaning of the Passover [the Lamb's shed blood and man's deliverance from the Second Death, which they were at that moment observing... and the symbols of the Bread and Wine with which Jesus was changing the way it was to be observed until He returned with His Kingdom].

But the disciples were "hyped"... excited, enervated. This was the night that they would RULE THE WORLD! At least, until they came and arrested their King! And their King humbly acquiesced and quietly allowed Himself to be taken away.

Their selfishness was squashed. They were devastated... and subsequently, terrified of the Jews, because they had been associated with the "rebel-criminal" Jesus... and would eventually be arrested, also.

So, you can name any one of the disciples in answer to this question, for they were all normal every day flesh and blood "selfish" people. At least, until their LORD resurrected and began to reveal to them what He had been talking about before -- which they in their carnal state of mind couldn't grasp. It wasn't until then that Jesus began to remove Satan's deception from their slumbering spirits:

"...'When I was with you before, I told you everything written about Me by Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must all come True.' Then HE OPENED THEIR MINDS TO UNDERSTAND THESE MANY SCRIPTURES." (Luke 24:44-45 NLT)

Human selfishness is natural to the flesh. It's what we all are. And it's Faith, Knowledge and Understanding the Word of God by an awakened human spirit to its Intimate Truth... the spiritually-nourishing Bread of God, His Word, that develops the Selflessness Love and Righteous Character of God within a person.

It's what all men have to learn and develop through God's Holy Spirit, sooner or later, if one Hopes to enter into His Kingdom. And it was no different with all of Jesus' "selfish" disciples.

Answer 2

Judas